DESERT IGUANA
RELATED LINKS:
WILDLIFE
- Red Racer
- Gopher Snake
- Glossy Snake
- Common Kingsnake
- Mojave Rattlesnake
- Speckled Rattlesnake
- Panamint Rattlesnake
- Desert Sindwinder
- Diamondback Rattlesnake
- Great Basin Rattlesnake
- Gila Monster
- Chuckwalla
- Leopard Lizard
- Collard Lizard
- Spiny Lizard
- Desert Iguana
- Desert Whiptail
ANIMAL MOTION AND BODY COVERINGS
- Vocabulary
- Book List
- Web Resources
Desert Iguana
The desert iguana is a lizard of hot, dry southwestern deserts and is most commonly found where soils are loose and sandy. The loose soil makes it easy for the lizard to dig the burrows in which it lives. Like chuckwallas, desert iguanas eat mostly plants. A favorite food is the yellow creosote bush flower and desert iguanas often climb the bushes to reach them. They will also jump from the ground to snap flowers from low-growing stems. Because these lizards live in very hot, dry places they must get all their water from the plants they eat. The iguana’s light colors help reflect sunlight and prevent the animal from getting too warm.
